Instructions for Carving a Wood Flower on a Stem
- 1). Trace the flower and stem onto a piece of carving stock. Use a band saw to cut the traced image out of the stock. Leave plenty of room to the outside of the traced markings.
- 2
Carving is a multi-step processcarved flowers on wooden bench image by david hughes from Fotolia.com
Rough out the image with the number 9 gouge. Remove the excess stock gradually. Remember that carvings are three-dimensional. Leave sufficient material for the rounding of the stem and flower. - 3). Use a number 8 gouge to hollow out the flower. Start to create space between the flower and stem and the remaining excess stock. Work to build separation and depth to the flower, giving it a three-dimensional appearance and lifting it from the stock.
- 4
Depth and color give carved flowers their realistic appearance.dragonfly and flowers decorative garden stone tile image by palms from Fotolia.com
Work on the flower leaves and petals next. Undercut the excessive stock from the front. Create the sharp edges of the leaves and petals. - 5). Turn the stock over after you have given definite shape and detail to the flower, leaves, petals and stem. Handle the piece carefully, or you will break off the sharp-edged parts of the flower. Use sharp, smaller tools (2 and 3 millimeter chisels) to cut away the smaller pieces, and, where you can, leave enough thickness to give the carving body strength.
- 6
Keep working the detail into the flower until it is as natural-looking as possible.large knife image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
Continue to work the piece from both sides using your number 3 and fishtail gouges. Try to get the pieces as thin as they normally would appear in nature. Take your time, and be very careful once you have reached this stage.
